Charles h



(N0 Model.) V

C. H. migasV Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT @einen ,CHARLES H. SAUNDERS, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OLIVER;

A. MILLER., OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 597,784, dated January25, 1898. Application led November 16, 1896. Serial Noi 612,311. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom t may concern..-

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. SAnNnnRs, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain nevvr anduseful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a transversely-divided last comprising twosections articulately bonded, so that the last can be shortcned While ina shoe by swinging the heelsection ont of the shoe and extended toproperlyfill the shoe by swinging the heel-section into the shoe afterthe fore-part section has been inserted therein.

The invention has for its object to provide improved means for lookingthe sections together when they are in their operative positions in suchmanner that there Will be no liability of accidental movement of eithersection relatively to the other While the last is extended in a hoot orshoe.

The invention consists in the improvements Which I will now proceed t0describe and claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming apart of this application, wherein like characters are used to indicatelike parts Wherever they occur.

Figure 1 represents in vertical sectional view a last constructed inaccordance With my invention, the two parts of the last being shown inclosed position and locked. Fig. 2 represents a like view showing theparts of the last in their open position and unlocked. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the last, showing the position of the hinge-plate.Fig. lLis a detail perspective View of the hinge-plate and detent. pReferring to the drawings, in the embodiment of my invention thereinshown and selected by me for 'the purpose of illustration, a representsa last comprising a fore-part section a' and a heel-section a2, thelatter being formed With the usual jack-spindle socket a3. At its rear'end the fore-part section is formed with a slot o4. A like complementalslot a5 is formed on the front end of the heelsection and arranged toregister with the slot a4. The heel and fore-part sections are cut withcomplemental straight vertical faces f h, terminating in complementalshoulders f h.

Above said shoulders the sections are cut with the complemental curvedfaces f2 h2, extending a short distance above the shoulders f' 72,',beyond which the material of the last-sections is cut away to formcompleiinental faces f3 h3, representing arcs of .a circle havingsubstantially the same radius, so that Qvvhen the heelsection is swungup, as in Fig. 2, said faces f3 h3 will engage throughout their lengthto act asstops. This construction is further valuable in that itprevents splitting off the top d'7 of the section d', as Would occur ifthe heel-section struck said top onlyy instead of engaging the entireface h3.

s represents a hinge-plate for pivotally connecting the heel andfore-part sections. This plate is arranged in the slot o4 and secured inplace bya pin s'. The rear end ofthe plate carries a plug s2, which isinserted in asocket s4, intersecting the slot o". The plug is formedWith a chamber in which is arranged a yielding stop or keeper sf, whichis normally pressed outward by a spring s. A detent sT is pivotallymounted at one end upon apin SS, arranged in said stud. The said detentis inherently rigid, so that itcannot yield or spring when subjected tocompressive longitudinal pressure. The detent is provided with faces S9s1", which are formed and arranged to cooperate With the keeper inholding the detent in different positions, the detent being held in itsoperative position (shown in Fig. l) by the bearing of the keeper on theface 39 and in its inoperative position by the bearing of the keeper onthe face S10. The free end of the detent is arranged to engage the upperpart of the inner Wall am of the slot a4 and lock said sections togetherwhen the last is extended, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of my improved last is as follows: The parts beingconstructed and arranged as showmwhen it is desired to remove the lastfrom a shoe the last is shortened by the displacement of one of thesections, as shown in Fig. 2, thus permitting the shoe to be readilyremoved from the last. In

relasting or reinserting the last into a shoe that has previously beenremoved from it, the fore-part section is inserted in the correspondingpart of the shoe While the last is shortened, after which theheel-section is IOO tively resists any pressure exerted upon either orboth sections tending to shorten the last. Hence the detent positivelylocks the sections. detent bythe keeper maintains it in its position asa positive lock and prevents., it from being accidentally displaced, butdoes not-allow the detent to yield inthe -direction of pressure tendingto shorten the last. The last is therefore rigidly held in its extendedadjustment without liability of being shortened by the various pressuresexerted upon it in a lasting-machine where opposing pressures areexerted by the jack-spindle in one direction against the top of the lastand by the heel and toe lasting devices against the bottom of the last.These pressures tend to cause shortening movements of the sections ontheir hinge connection and cause moreor less difliculty when thesections are not positively locked. f

Usually in a lasting-machine the last is held bottom up., the toe andheel lasting devices or wipers pressing downwardly on `the bottom of thelast at the ends thereof, while the jack-spindle'presses vupwardly onthe top of the last between the. toe and heel wipers, In hand-lastingthe last is also held bottom up and is also subjected to pressuretending to shorten it. It is very important in allcases that thesections of the last be heldrigidly against shortening pressure, becauseeven a slight pivotal movement of either section during any part of theoperationof manufacturing 'a shoe placed upon it will seriously impairthe form of the shoe by throwing the bottoms of the sections out ofalinement with each other. It will be seen, therefore, that my inventionproviding a positive lock which isheld in itsl operative position withsufficient force to prevent its accidental displacement when the last isused in an inverted position and is adapted to be readily displaced whenit is desired to shorten the last constitutes a very desirableimprovement in 'lasts of this character.

It is obvious that the detent may be applied to` the fore-part section,its free end having a bearing upon the heel-section.

I prefer to bevel the face S9 of the detent, so that it will bear on thekeeper atv one end only and not along its entire length. The object ofthis arrangement is to compensate for wear or indentation of thefore-part section by the detent, the keeper being enabled to press thedetent forward-as fast as it wears or indents the fore-part section.

The yielding pressure exerted on thev The hinge-plate s, its plug orenlargement s2, the detent or brace pivoted to said enlargement, and thespring-pressed keeper movable in the enlargement and bearing yieldinglyagainst the detent constitute an improved article of last-makershardware which may be sold independently as such. I do not, however,clai'm the hinge-plate and its enlargement per se, as this,unaccompanied by the f detent and spring-pressed keeper, is not myinvention.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting vto set forthall the forms in which it may f be made orall the modes of its use, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

, I. A two-part last comprising a heel-section, and a fore -partsection, articulately bonded; an inherently rigid detent or bracepivoted to one section, and arranged to swing toward and from the othersection, and to bear on the latter, to positively lock the sections; andmeans for yieldingly holding the detent in itsoperative position.

2. A two-part last, comprising a heel-section, and a fore part section,articulately bonded; a detent pivoted to one section, and arranged tobear on the other section, to positively lock the sections; and meansfor yieldf ingly holding the detent either in its operative or ritsinoperative position.

3. A two-part last, comprising a heel-section, anda fore-part section; ahinge member affixed toone section, and articulated to the othersection; a detentl pivoted to the said hinge member, and arranged tobear on one of the sections, to positively lock the sections together,said, hinge nmember having provisions for holding the detent yieldinglyin different positions.

4. A two-part last, comprising a heel-section, anda fore-part section; ahinge member affixed to one section and articulated to the othersection, said hinge member comprising a plug, such as S2, a detentpivoted to the plug, and a spring-pressed keeper in the plug, adaptedtoyieldingly hold the detent.

5. Atwo-part last, comprising a heel-section, and aYfore-part section,articulately bonded; an inherently rigid pivoteddetent carriedby one ofsaidsections and adapted to swing toward and from the other section; anda yielding stop or holder for said detent, carried by the section, towhich the detent is pivoted.

6. A two-part last, comprising a heel-section, and a fore part section,articulately bonded; aninherently rigid detent, or brace between thesections, and a spring-actuated keeper therefor, carried by one ofy saidsections, the detent being movable toward and from the other section andarranged to positively engage the latter.

7. A two-part last, comprising a heel-section, and a fore -part section,articulately IOO IIO

bonded; an inherently rigid detent pivoted to one section and arrangedto swing toward and from the other section and bear on the latter topositively lock the sections, said detent having a beveled face, such as39, adjacent to its pivot; and a spring-pressed keeper arranged to bearupon said face at or'near one extremity thereof, the said beveled facecornpensating for Wear of the portion of the last on which the detentbears.

8. A combined hinge member and lock for transversely divided lasts,comprising a hinge-plate adapted to be jointed to one of the sections ofthe last, and provided at one CHARLES H. sAUNDERs.

Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, P. W. PEZZETTI.

